Wire fence



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No. 591,470. Patented 001;. 12,1897.

i E T% H 5' z meadow Z R WITNESSES I K. BY- "7 UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

THEODORE M. GUEST, OF MORAVIA, NEW YORK.

.WIRE FENCE.

srncxncnzrfonformin part of Letters Patent No. 591,470, dated October 12, 1897.

- Application filed June 9,1897. Serial No. 639,993. on. 190 81.)

- To wZZ whom it may concern:

act description.

My invention relates to wire fences, and particularly to devices or mechanisms used therein or therewith to prevent the strain from tipping or pulling the end posts, particularly by the contraction of the wire by cold.

My object is to provide a wire fence at certain intervals with a strain-equalizer adapted to yield as the strain upon the wires increases and to return to its normal position as it decreases, and thus take up nearly all, if not all, of the slack which would otherwise caus the wires to sag.

My object is also to provide a mechanism by which the strain upon the end post is distributed and that post reinforced against the strain to prevent it from being pulled over or raised, which is usually caused by the strain upon the upper end of the post.

It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the postreinforcement and strain-equalizer as applied to a fence. Fig. 2 shows a coiled spring instead of the leaf in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 shows a detail of the clevis connection of the equalizin g-frame to an auxiliary post. Fig. 4 shows a front and edge View of a picket slotted to receive the top and bottom wires and to operate as a vertical stretcher. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modification. I

A is an ordinary post at the end of a line or stretch of fence.

B is an auxiliary post set at a given distance from the other one. These posts are connected securely by a top rail 2, and 3 isan intermediate post, which in some cases may be dispensed with, to which said rail is also secured, and 4 4 are diagonal stay-wires secured to the intermediate post near the top and to the others near the ground.

The posts A B and connecting-rail, with or without the intermediate post and stays, con

stitute my strain-distributor, whereby the strain upon the post A is also exerted upon the posts B and 3, the latter being prevented from tipping by the rail and stays combined, and therefore the main posts cannot be drawn out of their vertical alinement, the post A being reinforced bythe other posts, rail, and stays cooperating. v

In short lines of fence the post 3 can be omitted, because the strain of the contraction will be much less than upon long ones.

I A clevis or band 5 is secured to the post A at a point substantially in the center of its height to retain a spring 6, (shown as a leafspring in Fig. 1,) and being extended in Fig. 2, so as to inclose a coiled spring 7.

Suitable bands or clevises 8, secured upon the primary equalizing-bar 9, hold the ends of the spring 6. Adjacent to the post B a secondary equalizing-bar 10 is mounted in a band or clevis 11, secured to or upon that postin such manner as to permit a free movement thereof toward the post and a limited movement from it. The fence-wires 12 are suitably secured to these bars, but not directly to either of the posts, although supporting-staples can be used, provided the wires .can freely reciprocate through them. These equalizing-bars connected by the wires and the spring together constitute the equalizingother, so that both springs will cooperate.

Pickets 13, provided with a slot 14 in one or both ends to receive the top andvbottom wires, are secured to the fence-wires by staples or in any'other suitable manner, or,when desired, pickets without any end slot can be used.

It will be seen that the equalizer is center draft, and can be used with a spring at one or both ends, and that the pickets can have a wire-slot at one or both ends or no slot at all.

It will be further seen that my equalizers can be used at both ends of the fence. or at intermediate points with one or two springs.

In Fig. 5 the top rail connects only the main post and the central one, anda suitable diagonal brace extends from the lower end of post B to the central portion of post 3, and another suitable brace 16 extends from the central part of post 3 to the upper part of the post B, the bar 10 and connection 11 being omitted. c

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a wire fence a main post separate from but in alinement with the wires, an auxiliary post at a fixed distance from the main post and parallel thereto and upon substantially the same line, a top rail connecting both of them, combined with a primary equalizingbar between said posts, a spring between said main post, and bar connected centrally to the central portion of said main post, and at its extremities to said bar, a secondary equalizing-bar parallel to said auxiliary post, and centrally connected thereto, and wires c011- nected to said equalizing-bars whereby the strain of the wires is exerted upon said bars and upon the central portion of said main post through said spring and upon the auxiliary post through said top rail.

2. In a wire fence a main post separate from but in alinement with the wires, an auxiliary post at a fixed distance from the main post and parallel thereto and upon substantially the same line, an intermediate parallel post,

a top rail connecting their tops, combined with a primary equalizing-bar between said main and intermediate posts, a spring between it and the main post, connected centrally to said post and at its extremities to said bar, a secondary equalizing-bar between said auxiliary and intermediate posts and connected centrally to said auxiliary post, and wires connected to both of said equalizing-bars whereby the strain of Wires is exerted upon said bars and upon said spring and upon the central portion of said main post, and through it and said rail against the other posts.

3. In a wire fence, a main post and wires,

an auxiliary post erected at a fixed distance therefrom in the line of the strain of the wires, an intermediate post, a top rail secured to and connecting all of said posts and stays connected to the upper part of said intermediate post and to the lower part of the other posts, combined with equalizing-bars suitably connected to said auxiliary post, the wires being suit-ably connected to both of said main and equalizing bars but not to said main posts.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of June, 1897.

THEODORE DI. GUEST.

I11 presence of- .T. A. THOMAS, W. E. GREENFIELD. 

